TueNight 10: Dara Kass

Quick Bio: Dara is a doctor, writer and gender equity advocate who just launched TIME’S UP Healthcare with several other amazing women in medicine. She is also the founder and CEO of FemInEM, an organization for women in emergency medicine.

Beyond the Bio: “My life is so full, I feel like I just finished Thanksgiving dinner almost every night. I have been fortunate enough to see the effects of meaningful change in my field, in a flexible and financially viable way. That’s awesome, but sometimes overwhelming. At 41, I am exactly where I want to be in my career, have an awesome family and live in a great neighborhood. And because of what I have seen as an ER doctor and mom, I don’t take one day of this for granted.”

2. Can’t stop/won’t stop: Believing that we are moving forward Even when we are actively moving backwards. I believe that most people are inherently good, in some way, and the ones that suck we can step over on our way to progress.

3. Jam of the minute: SoulCycle, trying to transition to Peloton. Not sold yet but I am hoping it will work out.

4. Thing I miss: The ability to unplug.

5. 80s crush: Kirk Cameron. How fucking ironic.

6. Current crush: Ryan Reynolds. I think it will always be Ryan Reynolds for the rest of my days.

7. Will whine about: The never ending effects that living in a patriarchy has on our lives and the “choices” it forces us to make

8. Will wine about: The energy it takes to fight that patriarchy every damn day.

9. Best thing that happened recently: I found out I won an award last week for my work affecting women in academic medicine. It’s the largest award in my field and I am the youngest person ever to get it it. I am also the only one who is blowing up the system in order to make change. Wins like this matter, when it feels you are constantly banging your head against a brick wall.

10. Looking forward to: Australia. I am headed there for two weeks, giving a couple of talks and seeing the country with my husband. He gets lost in all the work I do, and I am really excited to unplug a bit and hang out with him. I am pretty sure I still like him, a lot.